I am having problems connecting my AVR-2807 via RS232, so I hooked it up to a laptop and tried with Hyperterminal. Has anyone else done this? I can't get any response. I found the following info on AVS forum:

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RS232 To start with, I could NOT get the RS232 to work, despite me being an experienced comms type person. Eventually, reading between the lines in the manual I worked out. Here is the recipe (please don't ask me for support on basic PC stuff like Windows, Hyperterminal etc - you'll find that elsewhere)- You need the RS232 Protocol manual from the USA Denon site (not available in my home country - the UK)- Connect a laptop with a straight RS232 cable- Use Hyperterminal at 9600,n,8,1 and NO flow control (that's important)- Type the word PWSTANDBY and one linefeed into a Notepad document, copy this into the Clipboard (this must be in upper case)- Now turn on the Denon with the Standby button, and while it is starting up use Edit, Copy clipboard to host in Hyperterminal- If it has worked, the Denon will turn off.

Thereafter, you can control the Denon via RS232. Prior to that, it is deaf and dumb (at least - mine was). My conclusion was that you have to zap it with the command in a short space of time after going from Standby to On. If you try to type the command in to Hyperterminal, you can't get it in fast enough to be recognised.

I can only confirm that I am using the same receiver without any problems. I didn't experience any of the timing issues described in the article you quote from the AVS forums. Are you sure your RS232 cable is of the correct type ie straight through and not crossed ?

Just one other thing to note is that when I used the Denon template supplied with LMCE for some reason non of the ruby code was present to manually add the code snippets. I used the protocol manual for the AVR-3805 from the USA site.

I have checked my cable with a multimeter and it goes pin 1 -> pin 1 etc. The metal shell of one plug connects to the metal shell of the other plug, but does not connect to any of the pins. I have read somewhere that some pins might need to be connected to ground - can you comment on this?

I added the device without having to add any code like you, using the template AVC-A1SRA (RS232). When the device starts I see in the log the entire device ruby code is spat out, but with no error messages. I tried testing commands through the web GUI but nothing at all is logged. Is this weird?

I have an AVR-3808ci and having the same issues. Stupid question, how do you change the 8N1 to N81? I can't seem to change it in the web interface? Is this something that needs to be changed in the bios?

I have an AVR-3808ci and having the same issues. Stupid question, how do you change the 8N1 to N81? I can't seem to change it in the web interface? Is this something that needs to be changed in the bios?

I removed the Denon Amp from generic serial devices, then edited the device template and then re-added the Denon Amp.

I have also now checked my log files and even with minimal logging enabled using my Denon remote causes messages to be logged in /var/log/pluto/<DeviceId>_Generic_Serial_Device.log

If cables are OK then you should see the Denon reporting status events in the logfile such as PWON PWRSTANDBY etc

Nosilla99,Thanks, It does look like it is wrong in the template because it is defined as Parity/Bit/Stop. I am at work so I can't test it, but I was able to change the serial parameter. I wonder how we get that changed in the distro template?

The bug was reported using the tracker although I have not checked it's status for some time, but hopefully it will be resolved at some point in the future although the fix means people can easilly resolve the issue themselves without too much headache.

I think I also changed the baud rate within the template to B9600, although not sure if that was required

I have checked my logs and they also show the ruby code during startup. At least you have confirmed that the device responds to commands and shows status messages using a laptop. I guess it could be a problem with the USB->Serial converter and LMCE.

My system didn't detect the receiver as being a Denon either as the script fails with an error related to the serial port for some reason (try running it manually to confirm). I had to add mine manually and as stated earlier also all of he ruby code was strangely missing in my device template (710 can't remember release version but was DVD based)

It certainly sounds like a cable/usb interface issue as you should see the status messages if the system was able to communicate natively with the RS232 device.

If you had a crossed cable you could try connecting the MD to a laptop with hyper terminal running and see hat happens when sending messages each way. If there is no visible output then I would have to say the usb converter is causing the problem (in which case you could try changing the serial port device specified on the MD).

Hopefully someone with experience of USB->Serial converters can throw in some more info here

I actually started using the USB-serial because I could not get it to work with the on-board serial port! :-(

I have tested the cable successfully using Hyperterminal and see commands echoed.

BTW do you all have a nightmare adding GSD? When I add the unit in the AV Devices section then no matter if I change the controlled by setting to my MD it is always started on the core. If I add the device as a child of the MD in the tree then this problem does not occur, however the device does not start after a core restart - a full reboot of the system is needed before the device starts and the device log is created.

I don't see any errors in the log but when sending commands from the web interface I get nothing at all in the log. I would have expected to see attempts to send commands, or alternatively a connection error if there was no attempt to send commands. What should I expect to see?

I will try a different MD tonight and see if that makes any difference, though I'm sceptical as I've tried 2 serial ports on this MD and the motherboard is quite new.

My Denon is attahed to the core, I think I ended up adding it using the AV wizard from the on screen orbiter (so yes it appears as a child of the core rather than the hybrid/core md).When using web admin to send commands I do see the messages in the generic serial device log file an example of sending Vol Up is given below:

I actually started using the USB-serial because I could not get it to work with the on-board serial port! :-(

I have tested the cable successfully using Hyperterminal and see commands echoed.

BTW do you all have a nightmare adding GSD? When I add the unit in the AV Devices section then no matter if I change the controlled by setting to my MD it is always started on the core. If I add the device as a child of the MD in the tree then this problem does not occur, however the device does not start after a core restart - a full reboot of the system is needed before the device starts and the device log is created.

I don't see any errors in the log but when sending commands from the web interface I get nothing at all in the log. I would have expected to see attempts to send commands, or alternatively a connection error if there was no attempt to send commands. What should I expect to see?

I will try a different MD tonight and see if that makes any difference, though I'm sceptical as I've tried 2 serial ports on this MD and the motherboard is quite new.

Thanks,

Chris

Hi Chris,

We always use USB->serial cable adapters with Denon's we install. Attach the cable to the Denon amp's RS232 connector first. Now connect the USB end to your MD/Core and allow it to be auto-detected. Then just follow the Wizard's through and do a reload.

Thats its...unless your trying to do something non-standard with the control of the Amp.